Stationary and mobile radiographic imaging equipment is employed in medical facilities to capture x-ray images on an x-ray detector. Such medical x-ray images may be captured using various techniques such as computed radiography (CR) and digital radiography in radiography detectors.
A related art DR imaging panel acquires image data from a scintillating medium using an array of individual sensors, arranged in a row-by-column matrix, in which each sensor provides a single pixel of image data. Each pixel generally includes a photosensor and a switching element that may be fabricated in a co-planar or a vertically integrated manner, as is generally known in the art. In these imaging devices, hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) is commonly used to form the photodiode and the thin-film transistor switch needed for each pixel. In one known imaging arrangement, a frontplane includes an array of photosensitive elements, and a backplane includes an array of thin-film transistor (TFT) switches.
There is a need for improvements in the consistency and quality of medical x-ray images, particularly when obtained by an x-ray apparatus designed to operate with a-Si DR x-ray detectors. There is also a need for detection of an x-ray exposure event while avoiding invasive external hardware that imposes delays by linking to and holding off the x-ray generator control electronics until it determines that the DR detector system is ready for an x-ray exposure. Further, there is a need for detection of extraneous signals produced by low frequency magnetic fields present in image readout circuitry before an x-ray exposure and an imaging readout operation is initiated. It would be advantageous then to provide a method for the removal of image artifacts produced when the image readout process runs concurrently or overlaps with the x-ray beam exposure.